Tim Kerr Wanted to be a 20-Goal Scorer, Was Just too Good

As hard as this is for me to admit personally, Simon Gagne was not the greatest No. 12 in team history. I choose to think of it this way, for as talented and successful as Gags indisputably was while a member of the Orange & Black, that other guy must have been unreal.

That other guy was Tim Kerr.

CSNPhilly's Jay Greenberg recently conducted an interview with the man who holds the NHL record for most power play goals in a season (34), shares the league playoff record for most goals in a period (4), and is the only player in Flyers' history to notch four consecutive 50-goal seasons.

In it, Kerr shares the trials and tribulations of what it takes to make it to the top of the National Hockey League, and just how hard it can be to stay there.

Unfortunately plagued with injuries throughout his entire career, it's almost scary to imagine how productive a healthy Kerr could have been...and how many Cups we could have won. The Flyers were without Kerr for both 1985 and 1987 Stanley Cup Finals against Wayne Gretzky's Edmonton Oilers thanks to separate issues with his knee and shoulder.

Described as so normally stoic, the Kerr quotes included in the piece are wonderfully frank, giving you an inside look into one of the most prolific goal scorers in franchise history.

“I wasn’t excited when I scored because I expected to score. I always said the best job in hockey was to be a 20-goal scorer. Score once every four games and life is good.” —Tim Kerr

“I had a great run, a lot of fun with a great group of guys. Every night going to the rink you felt like we had a good chance to win. It was unfortunate we didn’t win the Cup, but I guess I would be more disappointed if we had a team that didn’t give everything it had." —Tim Kerr

“I don’t hold any regrets, the Flyers treated me great while I was here. My proudest thing in the game was when the Flyers inducted me in their Hall of Fame the year after I retired. I was very honored they did that so quickly, pretty cool.” —Tim Kerr

Before there was ever a John LeClair pouring in goals and taking a pounding in front of the net, there was Tim Kerr.